.: ESCI S-3A Viking Sub Hunter

Kit: ESCI 8216
Scale: 1/48
Scheme: Standard US Navy 1981
Number: 160137
Pilot: several
Base: USS Nimitz CVN-68
Wing: Carrier Air Wing 8
Squadron: VS-24 Scouts
Date: early August 1981
History: On the morning of 19 August 1981 the single S-3A 702 from VS-30 Diamond Cutters, stationed on board the USS Forrestal, headed for the Libyan coast to participate in a large exercise. The mission was fly low—300 feet above the waves, to avoid alerting Libyan radar—then pop up to 10,000 feet once we were 15 miles from shore, and stay over international waters. We would fly a racetrack—essentially a holding pattern—parallel to the shore, just to see what would happen. The E-2 Hawkeye radioed that two Su-22s were lifting off from Okba Ben Nafi Air Base, near Tripoli, and to stand by. A moment later, the Nimitz Combat Information Center radioed, “Diamond Cutter 702: Buster North, I say again, Buster North!” The Hawkeye directed two F-14s, Fast Eagle 102 and 107, flying combat patrol off the Nimitz towards the Su’s. And the rest is history.

So actually this model had to be a Viking from VS-30. But I decided to make a VS-24 Viking to stay in line with the bigger picture of my 1981 Nimitz project.